Dwight Howard has surgery to relieve butt pain

The Washington Wizards will likely be without Dwight Howard for the foreseeable future, according to reports.

The 32-year-old center will undergo back surgery Friday morning in Los Angeles, according Yahoo Sports' Chris Haynes. Howard will require "surgery on L4/L5 discs in his spine" and is targeting a return "within eight weeks," per Shams Charania.

Howard needs surgery to "provide relief from a gluteal injury" which has kept him out for 12 of the Wizards' 21 games this season, accoring to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

If the procedure is successful, a typical recovery timeline is 2-3 months. But Howard could return to action sooner. https://t.co/4BoYkahXSo

Howard received a recommendation from a nerve specialist in Los Angeles today and may seek further consultation before making a final decision on a procedure that could cause him to miss a significant portion of the regular season. https://t.co/Q8Tb7i6jFv